Front Page Episodes

11:16 am

Mon October 22, 2012

Front Page Sunday 10/21

Good morning, I’m Todd Hatton. It’s Sunday, October 21st. This past week, WKMS News brought you the latest in our series of live candidate forums focusing on Kentucky’s 3rd District State House race. Democratic candidate Gerald Watkins and Republican Jason Crockett discussed their respective approaches to dealing with the issues facing both the district and the Commonwealth at large. And in case you missed it Friday, we’re bringing you a re-broadcast of the forum on today’s program. Also, Kate Lochte speaks with one of the team who crafted Woodford Reserve and Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson. Henderson is the featured guest at this year’s upcoming Distiller’s Dinner at the Carson Center in Paducah. We’ll also hear about the endangered Kentucky barber shop as well as the Purchase birthplace of a Southern pastry icon.

(1.) KY 3RD DISTRICT STATE HOUSE CANDIDATE FORUM -- This past Friday, WKMS News hosted a live forum with the candidates vying for Kentucky’s Third District State House seat. Paducah City Commissioner Gerald Watkins is the Democratic candidate. He faces Republican Jason Crockett this fall. The two offered their takes on several issues; tax reform, infrastructure improvement, the state’s business environment, and the role of government. Today, we bring you a re-broadcast of that discussion.

(2.) MASTER DISTILLER LINCOLN HENDERSON -- 72 year old Lincoln Henderson is described as a distinguished looking man with a tidy white goatee and a wry smile. Former Master Distiller for Brown-Forman, Mr. Henderson helped develop Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Now he’s spearheading new craft distiller The Louisville Distilling Company, whose 86 point 6 proof small-batch bourbon Angel’s Envy is the star of the Carson Center’s 8th Annual Distiller Dinner on Saturday, October 27th. Kate Lochte talked with Henderson about his craft.

(3.) 2012 RIVER’S EDGE FILM FESTIVAL -- The River’s Edge International Film Festival starts November 1 in Paducah. Now in its eighth year, the festival has worked to develop what the official website calls dedication “to the serious film maker, the serious film lover, and the art of the cinema.” The four-day event offers short and feature length films of all varieties. The films this year come from the U.S. and countries around the world, including Russia, the UK, Spain, Palestine, and Japan. Maiden Alley Cinema Executive Director Landee Bryant spoke with Angela Hatton about this year’s River’s Edge Festival.

(4.) KY BARBERSHOPS ON THE DECLINE -- For many, the phrase “barber shop” brings back memories of a time when men gathered to talk sports or politics in places where the air was thick with snips, buzzes, and the peppery aroma of aftershave. Kentucky has close to 3,000 licensed barbers, many of whom have been in the business their whole life. But their popularity is decreasing as many consumers pick hair salons and chain stores over barber shops. It doesn’t help that a barbering education is getting more difficult to find. As Angela Hatton reports, to become a barber in western Kentucky these days, you’ve got to really want it.

(5.) THE BIRTHPLACE OF KRISPY KREME -- Paducah sits a little more than two hours from the nearest Krispy Kreme donut shop, and local fans of the brand’s glazed treats can only find them here and there in local gas stations. Yet, Paducah is where Krispy Kreme creator Vernon Rudolph discovered the recipe for his famous yeast-raised doughnuts and where he worked at his uncle’s store, selling the pastries from a box on his bicycle. Casey Northcutt has more on Rudolph’s impressive and somewhat disputed transformation from humble doughnut peddler into bakery mogul.